


Matters of the heart and sunflowers

by tachi



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, but a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2014-06-13
Packaged: 2018-02-04 07:43:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1771171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tachi/pseuds/tachi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was Aomine's grandmother that taught him the language of flowers. How their fragile petals carry your wishes, how your dreams can be seen in the veins of cool green leaves and how your hopes linger in the fragrance they leave behind.<br/>"What does this one mean?"<br/>"Sunflowers? I could have sworn you've asked me this before...but they represent adoration."</p><p>/Written for day 5 of aokise week, using flowers as a prompt/</p>
            </blockquote>





	Matters of the heart and sunflowers

**Author's Note:**

> It feels like more of a character analysis with aokise bits tacked on to the end I'm sorry that's just how it flowed 2 me o(-

It was Aomine's grandmother that taught him the language of flowers. How their fragile petals carry your wishes, how your dreams can be seen in the veins of cool green leaves and how your hopes linger in the fragrance they leave behind. Many summers were spent searching through his grandmother's garden or the forest for ones he hadn't found before. 

"What does this one mean?" She never wanted him to pick them, flowers don't last as long in a vase. So he'd eagerly tug her sleeve and excitedly point to whatever bloom had captured his interest.

"Sunflowers? I could have sworn you've asked me this before...but they represent adoration."

Pink carnations for gratitude, daises for innocence, red tulips for first love, apple blossoms for promise, red roses for passion and peonies for healing. The words associated with flowers were almost as beautiful and inspiring as the flowers themselves. Aomine loved being inspired, and being inspired by others. Inspiration lead to passion, and passion to finding new parts of yourself and accomplishing things you hadn't before. Nothing inspired Aomine Daiki more than basketball. At least that's what he had believed.

* * *

Aomine's first year of middle school. He chose Teiko because it was the obvious choice for someone like him.  _100 games, 100 victories._ When he first started attending Teiko, those words felt like a mantra or a prayer. Something that fostered hope and faith in his team as well as power and certainty. He made the first string, and soon became a starting member. His visits to his grandmother were less frequent but the memories of her beautiful garden remained. He did visit in her in order to share the good news, and she fawned over him and gave him the 'little Daiki's growing up' speech. He'd never admit it but he enjoyed the attention once in a while.

Then he met Kuroko, the small boy that had more courage in him than a full grown lion. Someone like that would be an asset to any team, even if his physique and stamina were weak. He wanted to play with people like Kuroko, someone that never gives up even with all of the odds stacked against him. Sometimes he wanted to be like Kuroko, to be the underdog that struggled against a stronger opponent.

Akashi, Midorima, Murasakibara, Momoi, Nijimura, Haizaki, and later Kuroko. Those were his teammates, the people he played the sport he loved with and eventually grew to care for too. Sometimes he thought of them in terms of flowers. Akashi as a deep red hyacinth, Midorima as a green orchid, Murasakibara as a purple dahlia, Momoi as pink roses, Nijimura as lilies of the valley, Haizaki the thistle and Kuroko as plum blossoms. He never voiced these thoughts of course, what kind of 13 year old boy put so much thought into girly things like flowers? 

He continued to play basketball instead, and he continued to grow.

* * *

His second year of middle school started with a stray basketball connecting to the back of a blond boy's head. The boy had a name that Aomine had heard from many female students and a face that he had seen in many magazines. Kise's athletic skills had also been brought to his attention by other members of the soccer team. The tanned boy had recently started to think about basketballs more than flowers -or anything else really- in recent months. However, those golden eyes made memories of warm, sunny days spent surrounded by beauty resurface. He wondered if those eyes would be able to challenge him on a basketball court. 

Kise made the team and eventually first string. Haizaki and his unreliable work ethic disappeared from the Teiko basketball club. Now kise wore the number eight jersey, and Aomine believed it suited him better anyways. Aomine was starting to notice a lot of things suited him better. Like that earring in his left ear, or a hair color that was slightly more natural than the rest of them. Those were also things he'd never admit, so he took to teasing Kise during practices instead. Then came the one on ones with Kise. Haizaki's replacement was certainly a challenge, and every match left him breathing hard with sweat pooling in his lower back. However, Teiko's ace was still unbeatable, and not even the golden boy could fulfill his need for an equal opponent.

It was sometime in June, Aomine had been browsing stacks of gravure magazines when a flash of yellow caught his eye. It was an article about Kise, it must have been picked up by some customer then ditched here. He quickly scanned the isle to make sure he was alone before opening it and flipping through the article. It was a fairly average interview, nothing caught his eye except for the collection of facts in the left hand corner. It stated that the blond's birthday was...tomorrow. He sighed and placed the magazine back on the shelf. That really didn't give him much time to prepare, but he felt obligated to do something. That kid had tried so hard to win against him he deserved a reward of some sort. Kise would certainly get a lot of typical gift from fans, Aomine had to get creative. So he decided on flowers.

If Kise were a flower Aomine would say he'd be a sunflower, bright and cheerful but with a sturdy stem and roots that can survive hot summers. Mid June was a little early for sunflowers, but he decided to visit his grandmother and try to find one that had at least half bloomed. He kept the two that he found in a vase over night, and gently folded a sheet of clear plastic over them before placing them in his backpack. He had emailed Kuroko the night before and asked him to put the flowers in Kise's desk. Aomine didn't want Kise knowing they were from him, and Kuroko had a much higher chance of going unnoticed.

"Why not give them to Kise-kun directly? I'm sure he'd be happy to get them from you."

"Tsk. What kind of 14 year old boy gives another boy flowers?"

Kuroko didn't push the issue, and Aomine was thankful for having such a dependable friend. They decided to meet at the school gates a little earlier than usual to exchange Aomine's gift, since there would be fewer people around. Luckily, the phantom sixth man managed to tuck the bright yellow flowers into Kise's desk and the tanned boy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Aominecchi! Did you know today is my birthday?"

"No." Aomine was eating his lunch on the roof when the blond came bouncing up the stairs and plopped down beside him. Kise raised an eyebrow. 

"But happy birthday, Kise." The eyebrow lowered and his smile returned.

"I usually get sweets and notes and things like that from girls but-! Look what I got this year!" His retrieved a sunflower from bag and held it under his chin.

"Isn't it so pretty! It's probably from one of those shrinking-violet type of girls, you know? The ones that are very thoughtful but also quiet and reserved."

Aomine gulped, it felt like something was lodged in his throat. He was right about Kise being a sunflower, and his smile was even brighter than the yellow flower itself. Half of him wanted to fess up and admit he was the 'shrinking-violet' that had left the sentimental gift, but his voice caught in his throat as he wasn't sure how Kise would feel about receiving flowers from him. 

"...Yeah. Hey, don't think your getting out of practice just because it's your birthday!"

"Of course not!"

Soon after, things began to change again. With August came the Nationwide middle school basketball tournament, and that's when Aomine began to feel the weed. Something dark that twisted and grew within the darkest parts of his heart. It fed off of his rapid growth in ability and steady decline in spirit. Luckily, his team was there for him. Kuroko and Momoi were there for him. He managed to keep it at bay and was able to relax again. 

Nijimura and the rest of the third years stepped down after summer holidays. The Teiko basketball club and the generation of miracles were now one and the same. However, if you listened closely to the whispers in school hallways and faculty rooms, they were known by a different name-the generation of monsters.

* * *

_100 games, 100 victories._ Aomine scoffed. It felt more like a curse than a prayer in his third year of middle school. By now the weed had grown into something too large to be tamed by team spirit. Maybe the weed had actually been an egg the entire time. A monster egg that grew inside of him and gorged on the despair of every player he had pushed too far and destroyed completely. The power forward no longer had any reason to go to practice, their victory was never challenged or questioned. Everything was boring, the sport he had once loved no longer inspired him. Kise continued to try, but was also unable to bring Teiko's ace back down to earth. 

Aomine never thought about flowers anymore, because he was sure whatever one he touched would wilt- fore he had no wishes for the petals to hold, dreams to run through the veined leaves or hope to linger in it's scent. 

* * *

He was scouted by Touou, and he went because they let him play his basketball. He visited for his grandmother for the first time in a while, and she could instantly tell he has changed. There were lines on his face that hadn't been there last year, and a twisted smirk replaced what had been a carefree grin. She reminded him of their secret language, and told him she was proud that he was drafted to such a prestigious school. 

Imayoshi, Wakamatsu, Sakurai and Susa, his new team. He didn't bother to give them flowers, they reminded him more of animals anyways. Momoi had joined him at Touou, and although she could be annoying he did appreciate her presence. A familiar set of boob- a familiar face in a sea of not so familiar ones. He continued to skip practice, Touou had no use for team play and his individual skill was still above everyone's. The monster was resting within him, waiting for a player that was brave enough to challenge it. 

Kagami Taiga believed he could be that person, and Kuroko Tetsuya thought he could help him be that person. But Seirin still lost, the monster had only stirred.

Seeing Kise again brought out mixed feelings in Aomine, it was obvious that kise had gotten stronger and he hoped they were now equals. Teiko's golden boy had grown into Kaijou's Kise, and he wonders if Kise still remembers the sunflowers he got for his fourteenth birthday. The match ended sooner than Aomine had wanted it to, and he realized Kise was still not equal. This cycle of boredom would not end. 

"There's nothing for a winner to say to a loser."

Then they faced Seirin again. The monster was finally slain and its absence was unexpectedly painful. Aomine couldn't sleep for a while after that, he replayed the game over and over in his head at night. Losing wasn't a feeling he liked or wanted to get used to, but during that game he felt inspired. His passion for basketball had returned and for the first time in a long time, he itched to feel the ball against his palms and his shoes squeaking on the gym floor. They say forests grow back stronger after a fire, and he was thankful to Kuroko and Kagami for being that fire. Now he could start anew from the ashes of defeat and grow to new heights. 

He was also thankful to Kise, although he had fallen short he never gave up and had pushed hard enough to injure himself. Seeing the injury affect Kaijou's game against Seirin made Aomine's stomach turn. He had punched Haizaki on Kise's behalf, but was that enough to make up for his injury? With his new sense of clarity he began noticing things about Kise again; How Kaijou's blue uniform complimented his lighter skin tone and hair, how his shoulders have filled out and how a silver hoop is still visible in his left ear.

* * *

Aomine's second year of high-school was far better than his first. His grandmother gave him the 'our old Daiki is back' speech and he was thinking about flowers again. He decided to grow pink roses in her garden that summer for Momoi. It's the least he could do for all of the times she stood by him. He also watered the sunflowers whenever he had time between practice and make-up exams. His relationship with Kuroko was healed and he formed a new one with Kagami, whom continued to challenge him with his ridiculous jumping ability. He still didn't have the courage to face Kise quite yet, so instead he sent more sunflowers. This time they were discreetly placed in his mail box while Aomine was out for an early morning jog.

While he was jogging, he thought about the meaning behind sunflowers.  _Adoration..._ He did admire Kise, the way he could worm his way into your heart with out you even noticing it. How he went all out for his teammates and maintained a positive attitude through it all. He deserved more than just a few sunflowers, but that was all Aomine could muster at that time.   

* * *

Attending practice without the company of Imayoshi and Susa felt strange, and even stranger when he replaced them as a third year. Aomine continued to challenge the generation of miracles, sometimes winning and sometimes losing but never playing without passion. He had already been scouted by quite a few colleges, but wasn't ready to choose one quite yet. There was only one puzzle piece that hadn't been put into place yet.

Kise.

He often thought about the blond boy from his youth on days when the sunflowers were in full bloom and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"Hey, do you believe in fate?"

Was that stray basketball fate? Aomine had spent a lot of time the previous year pondering if it, was and what he could do to convince fate to bring them together again. Kise's birthday was coming up, and he decided to stop being the shrinking violet and finally give him a present in person. Although he still adored his ex-teammate, his feelings could no longer be expressed with sunflowers alone. Pink carnations for gratitude, daises for innocence, red tulips for first love, apple blossoms for promise, red roses for passion and peonies for healing. Aomine carefully cut the flowers and arranged them into a bouquet. He had texted Kuroko for Kise's number, and asked if he could drop by tomorrow after school. "Of course Aominecchi uwu" was his lightning quick reply. 

So now he stood on Kise Ryouta's porch, holding an entire bouquet of girly flowers. He awkwardly cleared his throat before knocking on the door, which was swung open a moment later.

"It's certainly be a while, Aominecchi. So you actually remembered my birthday this year, hmmm?" He leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed, but a playful smile tugged at the corner of his lips. 

"I've remembered every year, I just didn't want you to get spoiled." Lame. He was too scared to even send a text message."Anyways, I got you these." He held out the flowers and Kise lit up instantly.

"All of these are for me?" He brought them up to his nose and sniffed deeply. "hmm they smell as good as they look, thank you Aominecchi."

"Your welcome...Don't forget to put them in water right away."

"Say, Aominecchi..." The blond's expression suddenly became thoughtful and serious, and Aomine felt a lump form in his throat.

"Was it you? Were you the one that gave me sunflowers on my birthday in Teiko and last year?" Aomine blinked in surprise and felt his jaw practically hit the floor, this was definitely not something he had planned for. Kise had accepted his flowers this year, but what if he rejected the cowardly displays of affection he had made in the past?

"It was you! I can tell by your face! I had always hoped it had been, how cool would it be to receive such a sentimental gift from Teiko's ace?" Kise's smile was now full blown and dangerous, it made all of aomine's doubts disappear and he felt himself smiling a little bit too. 

"Cool? If I was cool I would have told you it was me years ago." 

"Nope, I like this way better it makes me feel like we're in a drama." Kise's shoulders shook slightly as he laughed. "Although...I doubt we would have lasted if you had told me then, so everything worked out in the end. Oh-" A faint blush dusted his cheeks and he adverted his gaze. "That made it sound like we're already a couple, I'm sorr-"

"Don't be." Aomine stepped closer and gently held the blond's chin before leaning forward to kiss him. It was almost reflexive, his mouth was pressed against the other's before he really thought about what he was doing. Kise tasted just as sweet as flowers smelt and felt softer than their petals. 

"E-eh! Your crushing the flowers!" Sure enough, the bouquet was wedged in between them and appeared to be falling apart.

"Hmm? Your more beautiful than the flowers anyways." And he leaned in for another kiss. 

* * *

 Giving his lover flowers every year for his birthday became a tradition for Aomine Daiki. No matter where they were in the world and whether they were together or apart, Kise would always wake up to a beautiful bouquet of fresh blooms. His favorite birthdays were the ones when he'd find the flowers on the pillow next to him, and hear the sounds of Aomine cooking breakfast from the kitchen. Kise would pull him into bed again once they finished eating and they'd spend a majority of the day huddled under the blankets, exploring each other through gentle kisses and sweet words. 

The first time they exchanged 'I love you's was on the night of their high-school graduation. Aomine had dropped by Kise's house to deliver flowers for the occasion, and it was something about they way the model looked in a suit, his golden hair shimmering in the dim porch light, that made it slip out of his mouth like it carried no weight at all. But it did, and the way Kise whispered 'I love you too' with only half a second of hesitation made Aomine's heart flutter like it was also weightless. That night was also the first night he was invited in when it was only the two of them.

Kise once asked Aomine why he gave him so many flowers, and he said it was to make up for the two birthdays he missed.

"But it was only two! You've more than made up for them."

"If your going to complain I can give you nothing at all." He flashed his signature pout, the one that always made Aomine want to poke his puffed out cheeks.

"I...just like how you look surrounded by them, how even flowers look plain next to you." That line was grumbled under his breath and topped with a bright red blush, but it still made Kise smile and he was rewarded with a kiss on the forehead.

"Thank you."

Aomine had finally found something more inspiring and beautiful than flowers or their meanings. Kise became his inpiration, hopes and dreams-and Aomine began to learn the language of love as well as the language of flowers. 

**Author's Note:**

> I tried my best to make an accurate timeline but the teiko arc can be a little confusing in that department, I apologize if anythings wrong. So I went off of a headcanon that Aomine's very close to his grandmother and here we are


End file.
